Getting out, I reached into the backseat for my daughter, then quietly closed the door.
I’d wake Turner up to bring her inside, but she looked comfortable where she was sleeping. And honestly, she’d have a better time taking a nap in the car where it was quiet than in the house that was full of people.
Turner was six months pregnant with our second, and not a day went by that I didn’t thank God that she was brought into my life.
Patty, who was named after Turner’s mother, squealed in glee the moment that she saw my mother.
“Grandma!” she bellowed.
My mother bent down and scooped her up before she could even make it three steps in her direction.
My mother loved my baby, but it made my heart pang when I thought about Turner’s mother never getting to meet her grandbabies. Or Turner not having her mother to turn to in times of need.
“There’s my baby girl,” I heard called.
I turned to find Turner’s father walking toward Turner, who looked like warmed over shit, walking into the door.
Father and daughter embraced, and I saw the relief pour through Turner at seeing her father there.
“I’m glad you came,” she said.
“Of course we’d come for you, dodo,” Bud muttered from the couch as he swigged my beer. “Plus, we’re going to Disney fucking World. We can’t get out of that fun shit.”
“Language,” my mother barked.
Bud grinned. “Sorry, darlin’.”
I sighed as my father walked into the room with his goddamn Mickey Mouse hat on his head. “I’m ready!”
Turner looked at me and smiled.
This would be our third trip to Disney World.
The first time we’d been, we’d gotten married.
The second time was when Patty was a year old.
The third, we were obviously fucking crazy.
But it’d become a family tradition to go every single year, and each of our family members had always come with us.
I walked over to Turner and whispered into her ear, “I’ll give you a dollar to burn those mouse ears.”
Turner snickered and buried her face into my throat. “It’d take more than a dollar, baby. I think he looks cute.”
I snorted. “If you say so.”
She pulled back and looked into my eyes. “I got you some, too, Hot Cop.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Don’t call me that.”
She winked and showed me her phone. “Did you do something cool at work today?”
I groaned and looked at the picture of the kids hanging off of me at the daycare that we’d visited to talk about safety.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Forty-two thousand likes and comments, only an hour after posting.” She batted her eyes at me. “Good job.”
I growled and slammed my mouth down onto hers.
“I can’t believe y’all still do this to me.”
She laughed into my kiss.
“I love you, baby.”
I pulled away and looked into her eyes.
“I love you more, Turner.”